For decades, communities near Lusaka's Forest 27 have been fighting to keep the forest intact. The forest was established as a protected area in 1957, near the end of the colonial era. It was regarded as an important source for both ground and surface water. Since that time, the forest's protected status has been revoked and replaced, and now parts of it have been de-gazetted for development projects.

The Chongwe community says that as a result of the development projects, water from the river they depend on is contaminated with high levels of sewage and other waste. They're fighting to win the rights to manage the forest.

Read more: mongabay.com

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